When Failure Leads to Worship
When we fail, our failures can lead us to worship the one who saves us from them all.
God is faithful to his promises. Abram messed up in Egypt, but his mess ups couldn’t retract the promise of God. As we see at the end of Genesis 12, God miraculously delivered Abram and Sarai out of Egypt. As Abram sat despondent, God was working. So it is in our life as well. ... Continue Reading
A Theological Grid for Orphan Care
God’s personal concern for the marginalized serves as the motivation for His people to join Him in caring for the orphans among them.
Both Old and New Testament writers describe God’s care for those of His image-bearers who find themselves on the margins of society. In Deuteronomy 10, Moses exhorts Israel to remember not only their privileged status in God’s redemptive plan but also to remember God’s personal concern for the orphans among them (Deut. 10:18–19). Psalm 10... Continue Reading
Why Do Christians Worship Jesus?
He is God with us, and He has made the Father known.
The Word is not simply an aspect of God, or a characteristic of God, like His mercy or His love. There is distinct personality here. That’s why John goes on to say, “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). We are bumping up against the most... Continue Reading
The Servant Songs of Isaiah
The work that the Servant performs accomplishes the redemption of God’s people.
Some of the most memorable questions in the New Testament are answered in relation to the Servant Songs. Whether it is the eunuch asking Phillip if the fourth song is about Isaiah or someone else (Acts 8), or John the Baptist sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come,... Continue Reading
The Only Joy We Never Lose
If you rejoice in the Lord, you never have to be without real happiness again.
Paul didn’t choose joy in Christ because he couldn’t find joy anywhere else. He had tasted and enjoyed the glory of success and popularity — the Hebrew of Hebrews, the Pharisee of Pharisees, the most zealous, the most blameless, the most recognized (Philippians 3:5–6). When he chose to follow Jesus, he surrendered the kind of... Continue Reading
The Beautiful “Must” of Luke 19
We are sought. And because we are sought, we are found.
The beautiful “must” of Luke 19 reminds us that Jesus didn’t have any questions about what He was doing on the earth. He knew what He was sent here for, and He was perfectly willing to sully His reputation by hanging out with the likes of you and me and diminutive money-grabbers like Zacchaeus. Jesus... Continue Reading
Kids Know the Power of a Promise
In Jesus, God’s purposes for you never get rained out.
God’s surprising promises amaze us! You see, by standing on the promises, God’s people live out his purposes. By pointing to the promises given throughout the pages of the Bible, we can help our children to see how people like Noah and Esther bet their lives in hope that God would be true to his... Continue Reading
Tried with Fire: The Afflictions of Christ
Our hurts and distresses somehow continue the ministry of Christ to our brothers and sisters.
Jesus suffered in His human body when it was on earth. Because His spiritual body, the Church, is still on earth, its members continue to suffer. This affliction arises partly because these members are unglorified humans in an unglorified world. It also arises partly because the kind of people who hated Jesus and rejected Him... Continue Reading
Romans 11: The Sovereignty and Wisdom of God in Salvation
Whether you are Jew or Gentile, God takes all the glory in your salvation.
The Jews abandoned God, either to other gods or to seeking to earn their salvation. We Gentiles today are no different; we hated and rebelled against God just like they did. And yet, what has God done? He has shown grace, He has opened blind eyes, and He has set aside a remnant for Himself.... Continue Reading
Become a Grown-Up
There is a growing concern among some people that the younger generation, including our covenant youth, are putting off adulthood as long as possible.
There is a growing concern among some people that the younger generation, including our covenant youth, are putting off adulthood as long as possible. And perhaps that is partially due to what they see in the lives of those of us who are older. Leisure is all-consuming these days. The leisure economy is what makes... Continue Reading

